Designing Sustainable Shelters

Congratulations to Nikita Wood '25 for winning gold as this year's Toronto Science Fair.

Nikita first entered the Toronto Science Fair in 2021, to pass the time during COVID. For that science fair, she created a bio waste wakesurf board, which earned her a spot in a Canada-wide science fair competition. 

When she entered this year’s science fair, she took elements from that project to create her sustainable, fully recyclable temporary housing project. She not only won gold this year for her project, but she also received the Kirkor Architects Award for illustrating sustainable architecture, design and building practices. 

Her design consists of sandwich panels that can slot into each other to form temporary housing. “I was inspired to design this project because I see the shelters and encampments are not adequate solutions for the unhoused,” says Nikita. “People have a right to housing and I wanted to make it sustainable.” 

Nikita is also an exec on the Service Learning and Outreach Committee. “I found my experience doing service learning at Greenwood also helped me to speak more compassionately about the project during the science fair,” explains Nikita. 

Nikita has been working on this project since the fall. Her physics teacher helped her determine the strength needed for the structure using advanced physics. “One reason why I entered the science fair was to get some feedback on my prototype and designs,” Nikita says. “One of the judges was an architect so that was extremely helpful for me.” 

Nikita says she’s excited to continue developing this design in the future. She is currently working in the labs at Toronto Metropolitan University to refine her prototype and develop a waterproof coating that will also be recyclable. She will also look into applying for grants and networking during the Shad program this summer. As for her postsecondary aspirations? “I am definitely looking into engineering, material sciences or environmental engineering,” says Nikita. 

We wish Nikita good luck as she continues refining her design!